THE EFFECTS OF GENERAL AND EPIDURAL ANAESTHESIA ON THE NUMBER OF LEUCOCYTES AND THE DISTRIBUTION OF LEUCOCYTES SUBGROUPS

General and regional anaesthesia, along with surgery compromise the immun system and affect the number and sugroup distribution of leucocytes. In this study we aimed to compere the number of leucocytes and subgroups in patients who received general anaesthesia wiyh sevoflorane and in patients who received epidural anaesthesia with bupivacaine. Twenty four ASA I-II patients who had not received blood transfusion and medical treatment with normal leucocyte number and subgroup distribution are includet. Twelwe patients received general anaesthesia with sevoflorane and the other 12 epidural anaesthesia with bupivacaine.The leucocyte numbers increased in both groups, but higher in patients who received general anaesthesia. The number of neutrophils significantly increased and lymphocytes significiantly decreased in patients who received general anaesthesia as compared to patients who received epidural anaesthesia. The numbers of monocytes significantly increased in patients who received epidural anaesthesia compared to patients who received general anaesthesia.There were no differecies in number of basphils and eosinophils. In conclision epidural anaesthesia with bupivacaine has less side effect on immun system and cause less differencies in numbers of leucocytes and subgroups compared to general anaesthesia with sevoflorane. Thus epidural anaesthesia is more advantageous in postoperative infections and inflammation.